Inspirations
by MorganEnjoysFanfiction
Summary: A series of drabbles centered around Kataang. Complete!
1. Moon Flowers

**A/N: This is the beginning of a series of Kataang drabbles I'd like to write. I think all will only have Kataang in common. They might be after the series, during the series, from different POVs. I'd like to experiment! I will update as soon as possible. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. R&R, please.  
**

**A/N2: Moon blossoms have been fashioned after flowers such as moonflowers or evening primroses. The Gaang still lives in the Upper Ring house. **

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Aang loved to fly at night. It was epitomic peace. He would step out onto the balcony, open his glider, and soar above the city without half a thought. He looked up at the stars, down at the blinking lights, and felt content.

Tonight he was not quite so content, for he was on a mission.

Aang loved Katara. He loved her more than he loved the air through which he flew. He had kissed her today, and that was why he flew particularly high tonight, why his smile was so wide, and why he performed an extra loop for the little girl looking out her window just as he passed over.

Now he wanted to show her how much he loved her.

He flew outwards, from the Upper Ring beyond Ba Sing Se to the pastoral surroundings between the outer wall and the inner. He remembered passing this particular field on the train, remembered Katara's near-silent whisper of, "Oh… moon blossoms…."

_They were rare, delicate flowers that only bloomed during the full moon. Also called the Waterbender's Flower, Katara had wished to see them for many years since she had heard about them from her grandmother. Now, she was faced with hundreds of them on the outskirts of the city. If only she could stop and pick just a single one._

Aang smiled wider, flying in the light of the bright, full moon. In the weeks since arriving in the city, she had all but forgotten the small flowers, but Aang hadn't. This was his moment.

He landed lightly in a veritable cloud of moon blossoms, their pearlescent petals catching the moonlight and shimmering lightly. Each flower was open fully and swayed in the breeze Aang had brought to the prairie. Still smiling, he picked a large bouquet, tied it to his glider, and jetted off, happy to be holding his prize.

Soon, he was on the balcony of his room in the Upper Ring. Thankfully his bouquet had survived. Quickly, he untied the twine around the flowers and dropped them smoothly into the waiting vase on his writing desk. Aang took a piece of paper and wrote briefly on it; then, he carried the arrangement down the hall, his feet never making a sound.

Katara slept in the room two doors down from him. He opened the door silently and placed the vase and card on her writing desk. The door closed behind him a bit louder than he intended, waking her.

She rose, tumbled from sleep, and saw the moon blossoms on her desk. Awed and ecstatic, she rushed to them, touching them fervently. Her eyes traveled to the card next to the vase.

_Katara._

_Aang._


	2. Heartbeats

**A/N: Second drabble. Hope it's well received! Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous post. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**In my experience, those who know and love each other for extended periods of time can begin breathing like each other, sort of like sisters who have their menses at the same time.  
**

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Whenever they reunited, Toph insisted on sleeping together under the stars. No one complained, because they all missed it as much as she did, though no one had quite her effect. At twelve, she had been rather frightening. At sixteen, she was terrifying.

Outside the Bei Fong estate, they settled for the night. Sokka, Suki, Appa, Momo, Aang, Katara and herself. Stupid Zuko and being Fire Lord, she thought. It had been too long, she grumbled to herself as she lay down on the cool earth. But, she couldn't help smiling. For months she had gone to sleep listening to their quiet, deep, howling breaths; after the war, it had taken her an equal amount of time to readjust to her silent room. For four years she taught earthbending to prodigal students and performed ambassadorial duties for the Earth King, but every few months, she needed her family to come home and settle her to sleep.

Sokka's snores were guttural and sounded like raging hog monkeys. Toph wondered how Suki slept with him, when each snore gave her enough vibrations to see several feet. As much as she cared for Sokka, he was part of the reason for her earth tent.

But Suki curled next to him, completely oblivious. Obviously a heavy sleeper, judging by her deep breathing. Toph liked the warrior, though she was horrible with nicknames. She snickered quietly.

Appa lay enormously about twenty feet away, his huge lungs working slowly and deeply. Toph, regardless of what Aang had ever said to her in anger, loved Appa with all her heart, and it had hurt when he was taken. But he was peaceful now, and sleeping with his beloved companions, such as Momo. The chittering lemur sounded like a bird in his sleep, with high pitched snores and whistles. Sometimes he would wake up in the night and crawl into her tent, but she didn't mind. Momo always made her laugh, even if he was a flying lemur… poodlemonkey thing. But now, he was curled in Appa's leg, fast aleep.

Toph was nearly asleep, her lids fluttering over her fogged eyes. Her lips curved into a wide smile as she concentrated on the minute vibrations near Appa.

Aang slept all over the place. He could sleep on solid ground like her, in Appa's saddle, on his tail, wherever he found a spot. He had curled up on Appa's tail this time, one hand thrown over the side and draped on the ground. His breathing was deep and even, so deep flies and small birds were wary not to fly too close to his mouth.

Katara preferred her Water Tribe sleeping bag. She did not live at the South Pole, and so wherever she went, she took many artifacts, and tried to find sea prunes if she could, which was rare, but worth it. In her sleep, her hand was outstretched and grasping Aang's, since they did not like to be apart, even in dreams.

Toph smiled because she could feel their heartbeats through their wrists, and they beat at the exact same rate. She wondered whether she should tell them how they breathed in cadence too, and had since she joined their team and made it her family. This was what her family was about: peace, and harmony, and love.

Those were her last thoughts before she fell asleep.


	3. Fatherhood

**A/N: Thank you for all the favoriting and the reviews. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**At this time, Aang is about 18. Katara is about 20.  
**

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Zuko had been right when he said Aang did not know much of fathers.

In Air Nomad culture, most airbenders, once they attained mastery over their element, choose reflection and spiritual enlightenment over bodily pleasures. But the few that might choose differently were given their choice: the entire sixteenth year for the scouring of the world. Be it a dangerous Fire princess, or a calming Air priestess, the choice was theirs.

Aang didn't begrudge his upbringing. Gyatso was the greatest father he could have asked for. He and his friends had learned to read and write, to play and laugh, and traveled around the world, learning about the other great cultures. What other fathers do that?

Still, it might have been nice to know who had birthed him. It was forbidden to ask, and forbidden to tell. Such worldly thoughts were not conducive to spiritual enlightenment.

Once he learned he was the Avatar, Aang thought about his parents more. At night, he wondered who had given birth to the Avatar, who had loved that woman. It wasn't as though he suddenly popped into existence; he knew better than that.

The present Aang sighed. He wondered what being a father would be like. It scared him and made him shake. Who would the child be who called him "Father"?

A thin, piercing wail broke his concentration. Aang could see a shadow behind the door leading into Katara's room; slowly, the midwife peeked her head out, and she whispered, "Would you like to see your son?"

Bodily pleasures and spiritual enlightenment were all well and good, but if he could be a good father, a good husband, a good man, he thought he might make his own father proud.


	4. Lake of Tears

**A/N: Sorry about the delay! Half-Blood Prince came out (obviously), which means I've been reading HP non-stop, and I went to some relatives for a few days. This plot bunny has been knawing for a while, and I'm not exceedingly happy with it, though it came out okish, so please R&R. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.  
**

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They were less than a day from the Western Air Temple, Aang thought, though he'd never been there on foot. He only remembered passing over the great lake where they made camp that night, and that was how he judged the distance.

It was called the Lake of Tears. The Air Nomads had named it for a legend of a young woman who had gone bathing with lover. Her lover, a carefree and happy man, had swum so far into the pool that he could not return, and so he drowned. The woman cried a million tears, so the pool became a lake.

Whenever he was sure no one was looking, Aang allowed a tear or two to fall in frustration and anger at his failure. The Day of Black Sun had been a fiasco. He failed. How right they made camp at such a miserable, beautiful place.

When they landed, Katara and Sokka immediately began to fetch supplies and firewood. Haru and Teo set up tents, and The Duke tried to catch Momo, who chattered half annoyed at him. Toph went to bed, sickened from the air.

Aang looked at them sorrowfully. They were just kids. He looked away; he couldn't bare their scrutiny.

Appa waded into the cooling mud of the lake. Aang joined him, waterbending a shower onto him, to cool him down and help all the hairs come off; they couldn't risk him shedding again.

The minutes wore on as he repeated the exercises: lift, release. Lift, release. But suddenly, a fine spray of water came from Appa's other side. He leapt onto Appa's back and saw Katara mimicking him.

"Good thinking," she said kindly, "This should help stop anyone from tracking us."

Aang looked away again.

She stopped, letting her bubble of water drop with a splash. "Are you alright, Aang?" She asked.

He jumped down and splashed through the water towards the shore. Appa groaned, discontented to leave his bath end like that. "Aang, please! Aang!"

Only for Katara, and her plea, and her bright blue eyes, would he turn around and look. So he did, and with a shuddering breath, he said, "I can't think about it right now, Katara. You're just kids, and I feel like I've ruined everything by being a hundred years late-"

"You didn't ruin anything."

"And then the invasion went so horribly, and we're stuck running for our lives again! For what? For me? That's so unfair! I just…" Aang put his head in his hands. "I let you guys down."

Katara looked at Aang for a moment, and then swiftly wrapped her arms around the monk. Her tight hug was warm and so comforting Aang could not help but let a few tears fall onto the rocky shore of the Lake of Tears.

"You did not," she whispered firmly into his ear, "let me down." She squeezed him tightly, then went back to Appa, who greeted her warmly. Aang stood on the shore, contemplating the lake, and his tears, and lovers.


	5. Kyoshi's Wildflowers

**A/N: I know, more flowers? But I do like them, they're like a foil against which I can write an inspiring romantic love story. **

**Sugar trees are sweet osmanthus trees/bushes. Aang is about 15, Katara, 17. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.  
**

* * *

Kyoshi Island had a secret, known only to the locals. It was not a terrible secret, but a beautiful one.

Avatar Kyoshi had been a secret lover of wildflowers. In her lifetime, while she traveled the world, she would always return home with armfuls of seeds and scatter them in a remote corner of the island, where they grew plentifully. Orchids grew everywhere, gently pushing up the earth to display their riotous shades of violet and gold. Several sugar trees stood proudly in the flower field, having grown old and wizened since Avatar Kyoshi planted them. And still there were more, fire lilies from the Fire Nation, creeping jasmine and camellia, wild chrysanthemums, on and on the wildflower field went in a breathtaking spectacle.

Aang and Katara had been visiting Suki and Sokka when they heard of the Kyoshi wildflowers. They wasted no time in seeing it.

Katara breathed, "Oh… it's wonderful!" And she rushed forward, her fingertips brushing each flower in turn. Aang smiled softly and leapt after her, grabbing her waist and pulling her playfully to the ground where they lay surrounded by colors. They looked at the pale blue sky.

Aang turned his head to Katara. She was staring up at the sky contentedly. He grasped her hand and his lips just touched her skin. "I could stay here all day with you," he murmured. He made her smile. They closed their eyes, Aang resting his head on her stomach, her fingertips tracing the arrow on his head.

After several hours, Katara said quietly, "I was thinking something."

"What's that?"

She said, "Avatar Kyoshi made this place, right?"

Aang sat up and looked at her. "Right."

"And you were Avatar Kyoshi." She sat up too, smiling slightly.

Aang didn't see what she was getting at, but said, "Yes, so?"

Katara looked from the tiny blossoms near her hand to the great cherry fruit trees in the distance. "Well," she said, looking him in the eye this time, "it sort of feels like this place… was made just for me."

Aang blushed and smiled. He leaned toward her and whispered, "I don't know what Avatar Kyoshi was thinking, but as far as I'm concerned, this place _was_ made for you." And he kissed her gently, pushing her back onto the ground.


	6. Powers

**A/N: Just something short. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.  
**

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What was power?

Aang knew within him, he had the capacity to burn down an entire forest. He could create a typhoon so massive, a wave so great, it would wipe away an island while townspeople watched and listened to their heartbeats. He could topple Omashu with a wave of his hand.

No Avatar State was needed anymore; he was realized.

But as he lay on his back in the dark, he was contented by his greatest power: Katara's nightmares were a secret to all but him, and in the night when she whimpered, he curled a wiry arm around her waist and whispered softly, "I'm here, Katara. I'm here."

She imagined burning forests and typhoons. She knew of terrible power, and it disturbed her dreams. But she knew her Avatar was responsible with his powers, and that he always came home to use them for her, as he had since the day they met.


	7. You'll Be In My Heart

**A/N: Rewatching S1 of Avatar... :) Thanks to everyone who's been reading, reviewing, and favoriting! I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**The italics are Katara's thoughts. I hope you can figure out the episodes these come from; it should be obvious.  
**

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_"You're weird. But I like you."  
_Aang. What a strange name. She'd never been outside the South Pole though, unless you counted Fire Nation raids as contact with the outside world. But he was different, and sweet, and an Airbender! And a mean penguin sledder too.

"_You will not touch him!"_  
Katara's rage barely expressed itself into words as she froze Zuko to the icy wall of the spirit oasis. Contempt for the Fire Nation prince; approval for her level of mastery; and suddenly, an overwhelming urge to destroy anyone who dared take Aang away from her crowded in her mind.

"_Please come back…"_  
Katara watched as Aang threw himself onto his glider and desperately searched for Appa. She wondered how much pain he was in; if she had her waterbending forcibly taken, she mused, maybe she might understand.

"_Don't fall don't fall don't fall don't fall…"_  
The typhoon she rode to catch him swept away everything, but she didn't care; in fact, it was better that way. He felt like a gravelly pebble caught in the tide: lifeless, weightless, and without destiny. She prayed the spirit water would work, and she wondered if Zuko would remember it.

"_I want to dance with you."_  
Katara thought those words the moment before Aang extended his hand. He always knew what she was thinking.

"_I'm glad – but wait – you have to – I don't know…"_  
Katara watched in slow motion as he pulled away, steeled his face, and flew away. What if he didn't come back? Kissing is complicated. But she was glad to have kissed Aang, regardless of her feelings at the present.

"_Tell him! Go on– it's ok – do it do it do it do it…"_  
But she failed. And as Aang's lips pushed persistently against hers, she backed away, out of anger and fear. Poor Aang. He might die the next day from a falling coconut. She might die the next day from a falling coconut. Inwardly she giggled; it was much more likely they would die a holocaustic death, but the coconut idea held sway for a moment. But she sobered when she remembered why she thought of coconuts: if Aang died the next day, he'd never know how much she really loved him.

"_I am so proud of you."_  
At Zuko's coronation, Katara stood tall and watched her good friend be crowned Lord of the Fire Nation. Her eyes teared as Aang walked sedately from behind him, his mustard yellow robes billowing in the breeze. He looked… free. Strong. Proud. As Zuko led him into the crowd, she reached for him, and he hugged her first.

"_I love you."_  
Her hands cradled his face delicately; he still seemed young. But those grey eyes, like that first penguin sledding day, looked at her with the same trust and devotion and any reservations melted away. Her lips agreed with what her heart and mind had told her all along.


	8. Capoeira

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while! This takes place sometime in Book One, maybe after they meet Jet. I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.  
**

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In a market town, on a brief stop for food, Aang and Katara had seen dancers. Sokka had decided to stay hidden with Appa; he might not have appreciated the synchronized movements of the young men they watched. He did grumble when they came back thirty minutes later than they intended. They wanted to learn everything.

Aang had never heard of dancing martial arts. Even though he had traveled through much of the world when he was young, this was new to him. His quick mind memorized the steps, and he lost no time in asking how they were performed.

Katara was not as brazen as the Avatar. She knew she could perform those graceful steps, but… she sometimes thought she was only a Southern peasant, regardless of her best friend's true nature.

The performers were quick to show Aang what they knew, eager for a new pupil. He offered his hand to Katara. "Come on, just for a few minutes," he grinned.

"I don't know, Aang," she said, looking away. Beyond worrying about the Fire Nation and her brother, some strange inhibitions just wouldn't leave her mind.

"Come on," Aang said firmly. "It's just you and me."

Katara looked into his eyes. His boyish grin made her smile. "Alright," she said. They practiced for half an hour before returning to Sokka and leaving the small Earth Kingdom village.

They often danced with each other after practicing waterbending. It was good practice, Katara said.


	9. Sickness

**A/N: I know, I'm the worst author ever. But school started, and I've been working a lot, and I hadn't watched Avatar in a while so my muse stopped working. :P shame on you. But this will be the last chapter, and then Inspirations is done! Thanks for all the reviews and the reviews to come!**

**Aang is about 16, Katara 18.  
**

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It had been three years since Ozai's fall, and peace was slowly creeping over the nations like high tide. Aang and his friends reached out as emissaries everywhere they could, and soon they were no longer needed, though of course the Avatar was always wanted. For now, he and Katara lived on Kyoshi Island with Sokka and Suki, though they often traveled.

But now they traveled simply to be together, and to see a broad brook trickle down a mountain.

However, Aang felt horrible – his body ached, his nose dribbled, and every few minutes a hacking cough echoed throughout the valley.

Though he had felt well enough to take a hike with Katara earlier in the day, it became all too apparent that he was sick by the time they reached their destination. The valley between the tall mountains was tranquil, though, and it was a beautiful day, so they saw no reason to call Appa. They could always stay out under the stars; they had the experience.

Aang closed his eyes and laid his head against Katara's warm stomach. "My head hurts," he said thickly.

She smiled slightly and pressed her cool, water-encased hand to his head again. "You're okay, Aang. Don't worry." Her fingers stroked his head with the lightest touch. Softly humming, she finally said, "You know, I'm not sure if I should tell you this."

Aang blearily looked up. "Tell me what?"

"I'm pregnant."

He blinked and put his head back on her stomach. "Oh," he said with a sniff and a smile. "That's nice."


End file.
